2024 Year in Review
The highlight of the year was the addition of two major attractions within Allentown’s Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ) expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors and residents downtown annually.
The Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion celebrated its grand opening in May. The $75 million project was funded in part through the NIZ. The new 67,000 square foot facility features a collection of one-of-a-kind interactive experiences, exhibit galleries, and the Da Vinci STEAM Learning Center including fully equipped classrooms, a cutting-edge fabrication laboratory, media production studio and Dual-language (English/Spanish) Little Learners Lab. It is also home to the Allentown School District STREAM Academy.
Construction of the Archer Music Hall is substantially complete at year end. Developer City Center Group has named industry leader Live Nation as the operator. The new live performance venue is expected to host its first shows in early 2025. The Music Hall and a secondary performance space, Arrow, can accommodate a total of 2,125 guests. A portion of the proceeds of the Authority’s $78,915,000 in Tax Revenue Bonds issued in January 2024 were used to fund the development.
The Da Vinci Science Center and Archer Music Hall are the newest entries on a growing list of downtown attractions that have followed the success of PPL Center. The arena that served as a catalyst for much of the development that followed turned 10 this year. Since opening in 2014 with a concert by The Eagles, PPL Center has hosted over 4 million visitors attending Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey games and other sporting events, concerts, shows, and commencements over the last 10 years of operations.
2024 marked the passing of a decade since the completion of the first NIZ funded developments, an important milestone and appropriate time to assess the effectiveness of the program. In May, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) presented an Assessment of the Effectiveness of the City of Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone following months of data gathering. The analysis contained in the report examined not only the area within the NIZ boundary, but also the neighborhoods within the larger surrounding census tracts and concluded “the incentives have been pivotal in the City’s economic resurgence as a regional hub for business, development and activity.”
2024 saw developers break ground for two new projects along the western banks of the Lehigh River funded in part through the Neighborhood Improvement Zone.
Urban Residential Properties commenced construction of Neuweiler Lofts, a mixed-use development consisting of 282 apartment units and approximately 40,000 square feet of commercial space. The development is on a former brewery site that sat vacant for decades and had become a blighting influence on the community.
The Waterfront Development Company broke ground for the 30 E. Allen Street Apartments also known as River House. The 201-unit apartment building will include a mix of one bedroom, two bedroom, and studio apartments and will offer river views, courtyard amenities, rooftop decks, and first floor retail space. The new building will be built immediately adjacent to the 615 Waterfront Drive office building as part of the mixed-use campus on the banks of the Lehigh River. The project is funded in part from the proceeds of $25,955,000 Senior Tax Revenue Bonds and $36,660,000 Subordinate Tax Revenue Bonds issued by the Authority in July.
Neighborhood Improvement Zone investments in public spaces continued in 2024. New pedestrian and parking wayfinding signage was designed and installed. Streetscape improvements were constructed in the 800, 900, 1000, and 1100 blocks of Hamilton Street and new funding was approved for further improvements along N. 8th and W. Linden Streets. In addition, the Authority board voted to increase the level of funding committed for the re-design and improvements to Center Square to $3,300,000. Construction of the reimagined public space is expected to commence in 2025.
The business of the Authority was conducted in nine public board and committee meetings during 2024.